iPad Simulator in New SDK Hints at Possible But Unlikely Camera Support

[sthartle]

wireless camera

of course, you could use your iPhone as the camera for your new iPad.
(You do have an iPhone, don't you?)

Plus with photos/video over wifi or bluetooth, it makes it easier to take the photos than hefting the iPad to just the right angle. Then with seamless transfer to the bigger screen, you can have the benefits of all that extra space to crop and edit it.

It is a bit of a handful to use for video conferencing, but I'm sure some gaffer tape could be used to hold it in place.

 

[saxamoophone]

...the iPad OS shown is actually the iPhone/iPod Touch OS version 4.0.

lol, you're funny.

I think this is going to be another AppleTV. Something fun to play with, but not something people could justify buying.

Wake me up when they come out with a modified Mac Os X tablet.

 

[cmaier]

Keep dreaming. Or complain loudly enough to Apple that they add a camera before launch

 

[geofly]

Institutions don't want cameras

I think this thing will end up being used immensely in schools and institutions such as hospitals where a camera would be an unnecessary distraction or liability.
I completely agree with v1 being a bare bones model which they can keep selling en masse to institutions while subsequent versions will continue to add features as needed.
I expect the resale value of v1 will be quite good because of this "institutional demand" and thus I won't hesitate to buy this as soon as it comes out and then simply "trade-up" in a year when they come out with the more mature v2 with camera and kickstand.

 

[sishaw]

http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/

Features page under the Photos description.

Seriously, nobody actually went to Apple's site and read through the iPad literature they put there?

You misunderstand. That kit is for loading pictures you've already taken with a still camera. It's a sync device. It will not allow the iPad to take over operation of the camera and take a picture, as the feature in the SDK implies.

 

[flopticalcube]

There was a thread on this yesterday in MacRumors but it was closed down for some reason. You could have had the scoop.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/855062/

 

[mspy]

I have been wondering if they were going to do something like they did with the original iPhone. When they first announced the iPhone it did not have a glass screen but after the initial announcement they change it to glass. I always wondered if that was their plan all along. They used a minor spec change to keep the hype up.

You guys think they could be doing that now? The leaked images show where a camera could be behind the black box around it. Or maybe it is just where the button would be if it was put in the other way around.

I would love to see a front facing camera.

 

[agkm800]

"Breakthrough front facing camera" will be added next year.

 

[NomadicTy]

it is not intended to be a video conferencing tool. get over it. the goal here is to extend the idea that content delivery and purpose-built devices are the future...

So, it's basically a giant iTouch, not a "revoluationary" device

 

[jamesslittle]

BT Camera

Is there such a thing as a Bluetooth camera that could transmit realtime to the iPad? Would be great for mobile iChat. If not can someone make one please. Thanks

 

[mlblacy]

who says there is no camera?

I think it lacks the camera because Jobs emphasized the fact you can turn the iPad in any direction and a camera obviously would have limited that.
Also apps for iPad are REQUIRED to handle direction changes while for iPod/iPhone is optional.

A few points, first the device is not out yet, and has not been torn apart. Weren't there a few recent patents that hid a camera behind the LCD screen allowing for a more natural chat? Also, I thought there were two cutouts in the thick plastic cover from the leaked pics (see attached). One for the home button, and one for??


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

Also, there is a disclaimer on Apple's site (Some features and applications are not available in all areas. Application availability and pricing are subject to change....This device has not yet been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.). Perhaps there still may be a camera on the 1.0 version.

Lastly, just as the screen "rights" itself when you tip it, it is not a big deal for the camera to do the same juggling. I even think my little Canon ELPH does that...
cheers,
michael

 

[MinorBidoh]

A camera will definitely be an accessory. Apple will release oodles of bits and pieces to plug in to maxipad.

Unless of course, the screen can capture and image at res. 1024 x 768. Do-able?

 

[One Ohm]

Will the advent of apples own silicone A4 chip prevent or alter the ability to jailbreak the ipad?

 

[miketcool]

Oh, come on guys. You can't be cluttering up Apple's pristine user-interface with something as cluttered looking as your own face. Think about how unclean the iPad would look with people's faces sitting next to such pretty and well designed buttons.

 

[kernkraft]

So, potential camera in dev/gen 2 in 8 months time? Great news! Meanwhile, people can take pics with an iPad Nano (iPod Touch). Wait... that hasn't got camera either...

You can always take your MacBook Pro with you and transfer/sync pictures.

Or just don't take pictures. Forget PhotoBooth, that crappy iChat and Skype. Those sort of things are not part of the User Experience.

 

[Anuba]

I think it lacks the camera because Jobs emphasized the fact you can turn the iPad in any direction and a camera obviously would have limited that.

Why? The iPad is so small, the camera doesn't necessarily have to be centered. For instance, they could put it in a corner (halfway between landscape and portrait, so to speak), and then they could fix it in a slightly tilted position so that it's pointed toward an imaginary line between the user and the center of the screen. This would be enough to frame the picture correctly and put the user in the center. The angle will be slightly off, but it won't be noticeable unless the user is so close he has his nose up against the screen. The automatic rotation of the image would be handled by the software.

 

[Truffy]

No mention if it's jpeg only or if it will backup RAW files too (unlikely, but would be very cool).

I guess the option to back up RAW files would exist if you simply set it to file share like an iPod, but actual support for displaying RAW files is given in the OS and the iPad will have n OS that isn't really optimised for 'pro' file manipulations.

Just a wild guess though!

 

[TheSpaz]

Classic

 

[tuhoops]

On possibility is that the lack of webcam on the iPad is largely due to bandwidth limitations for the 3G model. In other words, the idea is to keep the AT&T networks from melting. Obviously a camera isn't expensive nor does it take up much room, so I have a tough time imagining that's the limitation.

Um...no. Every cell phone from the most advanced (iPhone) to the simplest flip phone has a camera. Even 3G netbooks have cameras. Bandwith limitations for video conferencing don't make sense either, since we're not necessarily speaking of a front facing camera, just a camera in general (anywhere on the device). Also, not putting in a camera due to the expense or concerns for room are not it either.

Simply put, Apple is saving features to "add" to the next version to give people a reason to upgrade, I guess. Who knows why Apple does what it does? I can tell you this much, I believe they really dropped the ball on this one. They had the chance to really make a big splash and create a market for a product that could have been revolutionary. They were so close. I really believe if they would've added just two elements to the iPad, just two, people perceptions of the unit would be much more positive and reviewers wouldn't be writing the "it's just an overgrown iPod Touch" articles everyday.

The first element is a camera. The second is multitasking. Obviously multitasking can always be added via an OS upgrade, but for Apple to release this new product without a major revision of the iPhone OS was a HUGE mistake. I spoke with a developer who was tweaking his app on the new tools provided in the new SDK, and he said the app just looked kind of silly just floating in its original size in the middle of the huge screen, and it didn't look much better doubling the pixels. With the new screen real estate, how cool would it have been to allow multiple apps to be on the screen at once, running, in effect, like widgets. There's your magic. That's your revolutionary device. Listen, I love everything else about it, but these two major omissions change everything. The average consumer may not be able to know what's missing, he or she just knows it's missing something. Which leads to the "it's just a big iPhone" perception. 60 more days of negative press and negative word of mouth before anyone can get their hands on one won't help either.

Apple, you were so close, but you blew it.

 

[bigbadnewill]

A camera will definitely be an accessory. Apple will release oodles of bits and pieces to plug in to maxipad.

Unless of course, the screen can capture and image at res. 1024 x 768. Do-able?

Yeah, but if they release all these fancy accessories do they not run the risk of losing their 'advantage' over other companies by having it all in one fancy package?

This image springs to mind, but with the reverse now being true. Current netbooks are one nice little package, the iPad is gonna be messy.

 

[ss957916]

we can choose any usb camera .
thats goood

I thought the iPad didn't have USB connections?

 

[RyanR.]

I hope I'm wrong....

but I feel like the iPad might be the next Cube

Yep, I said it. I think once again we hyped it up to be to much. Although, I have a lot of hope for the next iPhone. It would be nice to have that 1 GHz chip in it.

I am not one to say iTab=Fail, but if they don't listen then they won't sell as many.

Last comment: "Really apple, ten years....ten I think you mean two" I was really looking forward to a newton like device with todays tech...

 

[kmiahali]

The iPad isn't bad or anything, it's just that Apple could have created something like the Axiotron Modbook, which is basically an Apple Macbook with touchscreen. (the modbook is only $100 more than what Apple is selling the iPad for) I'm sure if Apple wanted to, they could have created something running Mac OS X such as this and then incorporated a lot of the iPhone OS into it. This would have been great. Then again, if they did something like this, they would have nothing to build on for later generations..

 

[bigbadnewill]

The iPad isn't bad or anything, it's just that Apple could have created something like the Axiotron Modbook, which is basically an Apple Macbook with touchscreen. (the modbook is only $100 more than what Apple is selling the iPad for) I'm sure if Apple wanted to, they could have created something running Mac OS X such as this and then incorporated a lot of the iPhone OS into it. This would have been great.

Are you sure? It appears to me that it's $100 more, plus you must supply your own Macbook...

 

[vettori]

Lastly, just as the screen "rights" itself when you tip it, it is not a big deal for the camera to do the same juggling. I even think my little Canon ELPH does that...
cheers,
michael

Yes, but just think about videoconferencing (for me the only thing that makes sense with a camera on a device like the iPad).

The position of the camera is important; you can't simply turn the iPad and turn the images from the camera and hope to get the same result in all directions.... The videoconferencing app has to be portrait or landscape only.